Elder abuse on the rise, often at the hands of those closest

As Arizona’s elderly population grows, law enforcement and prosecutors are seeing an increase in the number of incidents of exploitation and abuse against older people.

“People tend to think, ‘It’s never going to happen to me or to my loved one,’” said Rae Vermeal with Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Adult Protective Services.

But just in the past decade, reports of elder exploitation in Arizona are up nearly 50 percent, the agency says. In Pima County, they’re up 18 percent. (See “An Aging Population,” A4)

Sometimes older adults are targeted through telemarketing and email scams. But the most common way seniors become victims of exploitation is through the greed and malevolence of those closest to them.

“About 90 percent of the time it’s family members or caregivers,” said Angel Guzman, also with Adults Protective Services. “They feel entitled. That’s the unfortunate thing.”

Guzman said the agency regularly investigates incidents where family members entrusted to care for aging or disabled relatives liquidate the person’s bank account, change wills or access inheritances early.

“It’s still a crime to take your inheritance early,” said assistant Arizona Attorney General Jesse Delaney, who prosecutes many cases of vulnerable adult and elder abuse.

Delaney said perpetrators, whether family or hired caregivers, will often seek power of attorney over an elderly victim and then use it to run roughshod over the person’s finances.

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Elder abuse on the rise, often at the hands of those closest